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Saturday, September 15, 2012

Indian Retail Opened Up For FDI: The Day After Diesel Price Hike!

The economist in Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India, has finally
decided to take control of the country’s economy and growth, and end the nearly
one-year-long policy plus reforms paralysis politically enforced by the
opportunist opposition parties as well as the allies of the ruling coalition. Undaunted
by the countywide rallies and protests against the diesel price hike on
September 13, 2012 Dr. Singh captained his government along to push through the
reforms further the very next day. Goodness for the country’s economy and
future growth prospects in a global perspective must be kept beyond politics
and political fortunes of the government; he seemed to have decided upon.

In a landmark decision on the evening of September 14, 2012 the
Government of India approved the much opposed 51% FDI (Foreign Direct
Investment) in the over $500 billion Indian multi-brand retail market and 49%
FDI in the misery-ridden Indian aviation sector. The FDI cap for the
Broadcasting sector has also been raised from the current 49% to 74%. Prime
Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has justified this decision and the diesel price
hike as much needed reforms to rescue the country’s economy from stagnating
growth and the fears of being termed junk by the international credit rating
agencies. But still the reforms were not imposed on all states leaving the
governments free to allow FDI or not in their respective states.

The markets immediately responded to the diesel price hike buoyantly. The
industrialists, business experts and the economists hailed both of the courageous
steps as the much awaited policy reforms to sail the economy out of the present
crisis. Many of the experts dismissed common perceptions that marginal and
small retailers will go out of business, global giants will make profits at the
expense of indigenous entrepreneurs and farmers will be adversely affected as
completely unfounded. They pointed out that in various advanced countries where
the multi-brand giants opened shops the small retailers continued to exist,
that in a global economy no country could afford to go back to self-reliant
policies and that the farmers in fact stand to benefit getting better prices
for their crops in the absence of the middlemen.

But unfortunately the opposition political parties and allies do not want anything good happen to the country at the moment, because at the moment they
only want to capitalize on the crisis-ridden government and want to come to
power forcing early elections. They are not ready even to debate the
possibilities as was corroborated by their tactics to stall the entire monsoon
session of the Indian Parliament. They are sure of victory, because they
represent the middlemen and moneylenders who exploit and loot the farmers often
driving them to suicides; because they represent all the unscrupulous traders who adulterate
our food serving poison on our plates; because they represent all the apathetic
and comfort loving middle classes who spend thousands at restaurants and bars
but grimacing at the 20 bucks to be paid as taxes and who swoop down on the
cinema multiplexes or most expensive shopping complexes spending dirty sums and
yet bargaining with the local vegetable vendors for a buck and because they
represent all the gullible masses, their largest vote banks and divided on
caste or religion or language or whatever lines, who know little politics and
much less economics.

Of course, one cannot be damn sure about all possible benefits or losses of
reforms at the moment and therefore befitting a perfect democracy the people
can elect their beloved leaders like Mulayam Singh Yadav, Mamata Bannerji and a
whole lot of aspiring others into power. Their beloved leaders will never let them
down, because they will oblige by never raising the fuel prices again or will try
even reducing; because they will oblige by never allowing foreign investors enter
the country; because they will oblige all their vested interest groups and
protect them viciously. If finally, the worst economic crisis of the millennium
engulfs the country and threatens the very existence of the masses they will
simply pass on the blame to their predecessors and lead the masses again on
protests.

At the moment if a political leader says that going back to the good old
days of the barter system would be beneficial for all the democratic people would
hardly get the difference!

Baby Falak, the bruised and brutalized 2-year-old girl, finally decided to say goodbye to this cruel world (India) and departed for a better world. The poor child died on her third cardiac arrest on Thursday (March 15, 2012) at the same Delhi hospital she was admitted to though she had been improving well over the past few days. Doctors attending for nearly two months were planning to discharge her soon, but they were not sure of her brain functioning.

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Amulya Kumar Chakravarty

Noted Writer-Translator-Administrator of Assam 1928-1991

Amulya Kumar Chakravarty Memorial Trust Award

Amulya Kumar Chakravarty was a writer and a celebrated translator of world epics. He translated Homer’s Odyssey and Iliad and Virgil’s Aenid into Assamese. These books were published in the seventies and eighties in Assam, India; and even now are bestsellers going into multiple editions. Doubled with a flowing original language and strict authenticity these translated epics are hailed in Assam as trend setting translations.

Amulya Kumar Chakravarty had a hard life. Being a farmer’s son he went to the nearby town for studies and after graduation set off for Calcutta (now Kolkata) for post graduation in English. His ambition was to become a college teacher so that he could devote his life to education and writings. But due to economic hardships he had to come back half way and was forced to join Assam Civil Service of which he could not ever come out. He also contracted diabetes after forty years of age. Uprightness, honesty and efficiency ruling his career he always struggled for economic stability. He never had enough money and always took pride in telling that his only investments in life had been on his four children's education. Burning a lot of midnight oil, literally, and waging a constant war against mosquitoes he continued his writing activities and apart from the three translated epics he also wrote numerous short stories and a half completed novel. His exemplary honesty remains a source of inspiration for his admirers in today's environment of rampant corruption.

Amulya Kumar Chakravarty passed away in 1991. His family and local literary bodies in Guwahati formed a memorial Trust in 2002 and decided to institute an Award for excellent literary translations in Assamese on a biennial basis. The first Award consisting of cash prize and certificate was given in 2003 to one of the nominated books. This gave a tremendous boost to promote genuine translation works in Assam.

The Trust has announced the Award for 2011 to eminent author Dr. Prafulla Kataky for his outstanding contribution to Assamese literary translation work.

The Award was presented at an august function held on October 09, 2011 at Veterinary College Auditorium, Guwahati.

For 2013 the Sixth Amulya Kumar Chakravarty Memorial Translation Literature Award was presented to Author-Translator Bipul Deuri at a dignified ceremony held on 6th October, the 22nd Death Anniversary of Amulya Kumar Chakravarty, at Sankardev Kalakshetra, Guwahati. The Award was handed over by Imran Shah, President of Assam Sahitya Sabha. A Painting Competition for Children was organized by Shrutinaad earlier on the day as a part of the event.

The Seventh Amulya Kumar Chakravarty Memorial Translation Literature Award has been presented to Dhrubajyoti Borthakur for Assamese translation of Hermann Hesse's book 'Siddhartha'. The award was ceremonially handed over by the President of Assam Sahitya Sabha, Dr Dhrubajyoti Bora on 4th October, 2015 at Sankardev Kalakshetra, Guwahati

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RAGINI CHAKRAVARTY

Music and More>>>

Ragini Chakravarty is a Hindustani Classical Vocalist of the famed Kirana gharana and a disciple of Padmabhushan Dr. Prabha Atre. Ragini has been performing all over India with her classical recitals, light compositions and sangeet se sangeet tak concerts. She can be consulted here for program details.Under the banner of Shrutinaad Ragini also conducts regular classes on vocal music.Ragini's second audio album 'Bhoyai Oi...Kahani Ahiba Ghuri' (O' My Beloved...When Are You Coming Back Home!) was released at Guwahati on 4th January by renowned writer-author Lakshminandan Bora. This album consists of ten immortal Assamese songs of poet-composer-author-freedom fighter Kamalananda Bhattacharyya. Beauty of words and melody make these numbers irresistible.

Contact: info.shrutinaad@gmail.com

Ragini's Album 'Bhoyai Oi...'

'My Grandfather's Songs'. Ragini's First Album of Immortal Songs of Kamalananda Bhattacharyya

Ram Kahiye!

Ram Kahiye!

Ragini at Jaipur, March 2, 2011

43rd Mahashivratri Bhavya Sangeet Samaroh, 2011.

Geet Se Sangeet Tak...A Musical Journey

Ragini performing at Karnataka Sangha, Mumbai, Jan 30, 2011

Tributes to Poet Composer Kamalananda Bhattachayya

It was on this day of 4th January, 1951 that the State of Assam lost a great son , a poet, composer, lyricist, playwright and freedom fighter, Kamalananda Bhattacharyya who had composed over 200 songs in Assamese apart from a vast array of other writings. We offer our tributes to this great personality whose treasure-house of pristine music continues to inspire us and all music lovers of Assam.